Monday, December 10, 2012

One of our favorites! So tender and rich. We make them for every occasion!

2 cups butter 1 cup powdered sugar

4 cups sifted flour 2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup finely chopped pecans

extra powdered sugar for rolling after baking

1. Whip butter with mixer; add sugar.

2. Next, add flour and vanilla.

3. Add nuts.

4. Roll in balls the size of walnuts.

5. Bake about 10-12 minutes regular oven; 7-10 minutes convection.

6. Roll in powdered sugar as soon as possible after baking.

7. Re-roll in powdered sugar before serving.

Sour Cream Cookies

A
favorite of several in our family, hands down! These are the most
tender, soft, delicious cookies. We use various colors of sprinkles for
other occasions (red and blue for July 4th, red for Valentine’s Day,
pastel for Easter, etc.).

4 c flour 1 ¼ tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp soda ¾ tsp salt

1 1/4 c. butter, softened

3 eggs 2 cups sugar

1 ½ tsp vanilla 1 ¼ cup sour cream

Colored sprinkles/sugar according to occasion

1. Sift soda, flour, salt, and baking powder together; set aside.

2. Beat butter, sugar, and eggs together.

3. Beat sour cream and vanilla into the butter mixture.

4. Gradually beat dry ingredients into the wet mixture.

5. Refrigerate for one hour or longer. (We shape and freeze, freeze in one quarter containers (chunks of dough); etc. too.)

6.
Drop and sprinkle with colored sugars (or sprinkle half way through
baking time. (If sprinkled before baking it's not as distributed but it
stays on better.)

10. Top each cookie immediately with a kiss, pressing down firmly so cookie cracks around the edge.

Buckeyes

A
simple candy (though the dipping process is best done by older kids or
adults or you’ll have peanut butter balls floating in your melted
chocolate!) that most people love. I’m always amazed how quickly we run
out of these in spite of the large amount it seems we make on candy
days.

I
like to have one of the kids use up brown bananas anytime of the year
and put some of these loaves in the freezer. Then we have them for
potlucks, company, or new baby gifts. Quick breads are even better after
they’re frozen!

1.
Melt chips in eight cup glass measure in micro at 70% of power for two
to four minutes, stirring every thirty seconds or so, until thoroughly
melted. (Do not overheat.)

2. When melted, stir in peanuts.

3. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto foil.

4. Let dry.

Best White Frosting for Cookies

Even
years when we bought frozen shaped cookies at the restaurant supply
store (instead of making them) due to time crunches, we always still
used our own icing recipe. This has lots of extra flavors, but those are
what make this frosting delicious. Definitely not your typical powdered
sugar/butter icing!

2 cups Crisco 4 lbs. Powdered sugar

1 cup hot water 2 tsps. white vanilla

4-6 drops lemon extract 1 tsp almond flavor

2 tsp clear butter flavor ½ tsp salt

1. Mix all but powdered sugar in mixing bowl and whip until all is mixed.

2.
Add powdered sugar a cup or two at a time until frosting is desired
texture. (May add more hot water or more powdered sugar, as needed.)

3. Use on cookies as needed. May keep at room temperature between cookie baking as long as well covered.

4. Very delicious icing!

Butterscotch Brownies

These chewy brownies are good year round. They’re easy and feed a crowd.

1 ½ cup oil 6 cups brown sugar

6 eggs, beaten 4 ½ cups all purpose flour

6 tsp. baking powder 3 tsp salt

3 tsp vanilla

1. Blend oil and brown sugar in mixing bowl until well blended.

2. Stir in beaten eggs.

3. Sift all dry ingredients together in separate bowl.

4. Add to wet mixture one cup at a time until well blended.

5. Stir in vanilla at end.

6. Pour into three 9 x 13 glass baking dishes sprayed with PAM.

7. Bake in convection at 350’ for 16-22 minutes or regular oven for 24-30 minutes. Do not overbake!

Note:
This is one of the few treats that I have made healthfully with very
good results. Some have even thought the healthy version was better
tasting! For the healthy counterpart , substitute egg whites for eggs
(two egg whites for each egg), sucanat for the brown sugar, and part
white/part whole wheat flour for the all purpose (or all whole wheat
pastry). Follow same instructions. Still pretty heavy on the sweetener,
but very good.

Butterscotch Pudding

There’s
nothing like homemade butterscotch pudding. We use this for pies,
occasionally, but more often than not, we use it for “banana pudding.”
It is a hit everywhere we take it---layer pudding, vanilla wafers,
banana slices, walnuts, and real whipped cream—then repeat. Everyone
raves about it.

This
is our regular chocolate chip cookie recipe. It is Toll House Chocolate
Chip Cookies without the coconut. When sugars and butter are thoroughly
whipped, these are the best chocolate chip cookies ever.

7.
While bars are baking, melt chocolate and butter together in small
sauce pan or in glass measure in microwave on 70% power for one to three
minutes, stirring every minute until chocolate is melted and mixture is
smooth.

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